The Eagle

The semi-official name for the insignia of the Romulan Star Empire. One of the more prominent symbols of Romulan culture, the Eagle is a symbol of military might and honour, displayed on the bridge of every Romulan warship. It also symbolizes civilian pride in the state, and is thus found at public facilities throughout the Empire. Romulan officers, and sometimes civilians, swear oaths upon the Eagle, and defacing the symbol is a serious offense. Finally, official communiqués from the Romulan government are marked with the Eagle.

The original inspiration for the design came when the family emblem of S’Task was crossed with an artistic representation of a life-form native to Romulus. The first scout parties to chart the new homeworld encountered huge eagles - Ra’tar - carrying their eggs in their talons; today the Eagle grasps Romulus and Remus in its claws. The former is gripped protectively, indeed as a mother cradles an egg. The latter - held in thinner, sharper claws - is instead depicted as a prey item. The bird itself is spread in an aggressive posture of display, representing the glory and majesty of the Romulan Empire. Its head is positioned with the beak pointing down, mirroring the triangle on which it’s mounted. This triangle recalls the Vulcan Kol-ut-shan, the symbol of Surak’s philosophies, which were without end, but began at a single point, Mount Seleya. The Romulans have used the same design, representative of the noble hatred and honourable feud between S’Task’s followers and Surak’s. On the Romulan banner, however, the point of beginning is missing, as the triangle’s point is detached from any anchoring symbol. This, of course, is because Mount Seleya has been left far behind. Vulcan philosophies, here taken to mean the passionate warrior culture Surak destroyed, are still presented as being without end, widening out and leading the entire galaxy into the glory of the Romulan Empire, whose perfect strength and honour is announced by the slogan always displayed at the inverted triangle’s top. It should also be noted that the triangle resembles a dagger, especially as it’s coloured in dull metallic silver. The fact that the Eagle’s beak mirrors the triangle, pointing with the dagger and looking back towards the sundered beginning, serves to make the symbol an aggressive attack on Surak’s Vulcan, which, while clearly out of sight, can never be out of mind. The emblem as a whole is split into two halves, the Romulus side, on the left, coloured in blood-green to symbolize aggressive strength and passion; the right-hand side, featuring Remus, rendered an icy blue.

The image of the Eagle is mirrored in the design of Romulan warships, which are known as “Birds-of-Prey” or “Warbirds”. Subordinate warriors within the military, especially young cadets, are also frequently referred to as “Eaglets”.

The Tal Shiar intelligence service uses its own stylized variant of the Eagle image, with the wings enclosing the Two Worlds, and Romulan society, in a protective embrace. The proud bird itself is now depicted with eyes; it’s always watching for threats to national security. The cold colouration of the bird reminds Romulan citizens that traitors will receive no mercy.